Warriors: Sunset Shadows
by Offended Kiwi
Summary: Sunsetkit, is a young cat who likes to spend most of her time by herself, but her life will soon change. She goes through hardship with family, loyalty, romance, and more. When she takes the wrong turn and WindClan is threatened, Sunsetkit and her sister Mistkit must make the most difficult decision of their lives.
WARRIORS

Sunrise, Sunset

CHAPTER 1

The sun slowly sank on the horizon. It's fainting light glowing on a young kitten's face as she gazed at it in awe. Suddenly, another small figure stepped in front of her, casting shadows on the little kit. Hey," the other kit meowed, "What are you doing here, all by yourself?" She glanced up at him, saying, "I don't know why, but I've always had such an interest in the sunset. It's weird, my mother named me after the sunset because she loves it so much, and I love it too." The other kit cocked his head.

"Sunsetkit, you are a strange cat," he said, "You never play with any of your denmates or your sister. You don't even spend time with me!" He frowned, giving her a sad look. Sunsetkit giggled, "Oh, you silly kitty! I always hang out with you!" The light brown kit gave her a doubtful look. "Okay, well, maybe not ALL the time," Sunsetkit admitted, "but, Blazekit, you are my best friend. I would never do anything on purpose just to hurt you."

Blazekit gave her a shy grin. "Come on," he mewed, "I heard that Robinpaw caught a robin. AGAIN!" They both laughed. "Let's go," he nodded towards the fresh-kill pile. "I'm pretty sure that grumpy old Owlfeather will gobble it up if we don't get to it first!"Blazekit headed towards the inner part of the WindClan camp. He sighed and glanced back at his friend, who was lying on the big rock, still staring at the sun.

Blazekit sighed yet again. There was something he admired in in Sunsetkit. She was, in a way, different, and he adored her for that. He just didn't understand why she didn't ever want to do anything fun. "I'm not hungry," Sunsetkit finally meowed. She turned her head and gave him big smile. "but you better hurry, or else Owlfeather will beat you to it!"Blazekit grinned yet again and dashed off, still pondering the small cat he cared for so dearly.

Sunsetkit woke up to see a small gray face shoved in her own. "Gaah!" Sunsetkit gasped, leaping away from the huge head. "He he!" the face backed away, revealing her sister. "It's just me!" "Oh goodness," Sunsetkit scolded, crawling out of her nest and shaking herself. "You nearly scared me out of my fur!" "Oops," Mistkit apologized, trying not to laugh, "sorry." Without another word, Sunsetkit squeezed out of the nursery in search of her mother. Even though Featherfoot was a queen, Mistkit and Sunsetkit's mother still did warrior duties and tasks, refusing to "stay in the nursery and not be useful".

While she was searching, Sunsetkit was suddenly confronted by Blazekit. "Hey, would you like to play some mossball?" he mewed, his face hopeful, "There's nothing else that we could play with all of the kits." Sunsetkit cringed, she wasn't very fond of that game. Blazekit continued, "You've never played mossball before, have you?"

"Uh…" she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but Sunsetkit didn't want to play with the other kits. _Viperkit always teases me for wanting to be alone all of the_ _time,_ she thought, _I don't want to play with her. Plus, I need to find Featherfoot._ "Um, well, thanks, but I gotta go," she said, reluctantly. "Seeya!" Then she dashed off in a golden and white flash.

While she ran, she headed straight toward the medicine cat den, where she would find Tigerpetal. The medicine cat was her mother's close friend, so maybe she would know where Featherfoot was. "Tigerpetal!" Sunsetkit called through the braken, "Can I come in?" "Yes, dear," she heard Tigerpetal's voice mew. Sunsetkit came in to see a gray and white figure sitting in the corner, sorting the different herbs. _Wait a minute,_ Sunsetkit recognized that cat. _Is that-no. Could it be? Mistkit?_

As soon as Mistkit saw her sister, she immediately froze. "Mistkit?" Sunsetkit giggled, "What are you doing here?" "I, um," Mistkit stuttered, her eyes wide, "I gotta go!" Before Sunsetkit could stop her, Mistkit dashed off faster than a rabbit on the open moor. The confused, golden kit was about to go after her sister when Tigerpetal stumbled out behind her, mumbling under her breath as she tripped over a rock, herbs stuck to her fur. "Oy! I am so clumsy!" she laughed, "Um, where is Mistkit?" Tigerpetal looked around the small clearing for the kitten.

Then her eyes set on Sunsetkit. "Oh, hello Sunsetkit," Tigerpetal purred, "Did you see where your sister went?" When asked the question, she immediately remembered why she came here in the first place. "Oh, um, yeah, she ran out, and I don't exactly know where she went." "Hmm, that's strange,'' Tigerpetal meowed, "she's very helpful, you know." "Oh, well, I had something to ask you," Sunsetkit finally said, "that's why I came here. I'm looking for Featherfoot. Have you seen her lately?"

"Oh," Tigerpetal said, "Last I saw her, she was heading out on a hunting patrol with Windrider, Robinpaw, and Chasmstar." "Oh, ok," Sunsetkit mewed, disappointed, "I'll just wait for her to come back. Thanks Tigerpetal!" "Goodbye, Sunsetkit!" Tigerpetal called as she ran out of the medicine cat den. As she ran, she spotted the kits playing mossball by the nursery. She tried to slink past them quickly, but it was too late.

"Hey, Sunsetkit!" Blazekit's voice echoed through the camp. She stopped running. Sunsetkit closed her eyes and sighed. _I don't want to play with them, but I don't want to hurt Blazekit's feelings!_ She turned around, wearing a fake grin. "Yes?" "Do you have time to play mossball _now_?" Blazekit asked. "Yeah," Mistkit walked out into Sunsetkit's view, "Come on. You _never_ play with us! It's like we don't even exist! Don't you care about us?"

Sunsetkit was about to open her mouth to say another excuse but then she realized the painful truth in her sister's words. "No, Mistkit, I-" Suddenly, as if StarClan had answered her wish, she saw her mother and father walk into the camp from their hunting patrol. Finally! she thought, Now I have an excuse! "Well, fellas, I'd love to stay and chat, but I need to talk to my mom. Maybe I can play later. See you guys later! Sorry!" and with that, she zoomed away.

"Featherfoot!" she called, excited that she could finally talk to her mother. Just as she almost reached her, a huge white paw stepped in front of her, making her stumble to a stop. "Sunsetkit!" a booming, stern voice scolded, "What have I told you about running through the camp?" Sunsetkit looked up to see her father, Windrider, glaring down at her. _Oh great,_ she thought, _another disruption._ "I'm sorry father," she mewed, showing her obedience to her father by hanging her head.

"You should be," Windrider grumbled. "What is the matter?" Featherfoot heard the commotion and trotted over. "Mother!" Sunsetkit meowed when she reached them. Windrider silenced her with a glare and turned to Featherfoot, "Sunsetkit was running throught the camp again!" "So?" Featherfoot said, rather annoyed, "She is young; she should be able to have a little fun. She won't be a kit forever." With a proud glace at her daughter, she added, "Our kits are almost five moons now. They're almost apprentices."

Windrider snorted, ignoring Featherfoot's reasoning. He whipped his head around again to Sunsetkit. Featherfoot sighed as he continued, "Well, you should know better! You need to be aware of other cats' boundaries and individual lives!" "Windrider!" Sunsetkit jumped at Featherfoot's sudden outburst. _Featherfoot has never raised her voice at me_ _like that!_ Sunsetkit realized, _well, only when I accidentally ripped a huge clump of fur off of her tail, but that's different._

"You are saying that cats should have individual lives, but _you_ are controlling _hers_!" "You'll never understand!" Windrider yelled back. Featherfoot backed away, wincing. Sunsetkit saw a small trace of fear in her green eyes. He turned to Sunsetkit again. _Oh no._ "You need to learn to not be so selfish! When are you going to stop? You should be obedient and respect-" he stopped as a mossball hit him hard in the back of his head, crumbling to pieces and clinging to his clean, white pelt. "-ful," he turned to face the direction in which the mossball flew from.

Sunsetkit turned to see who had done it. There Mistkit stood, her bright blue eyes wide with fear. "Oops," she whimpered. "MISTKIT!" The single name rang throughout the clearing, drawing the attention of every cat close by. Windrider stomped toward the mewling kit, shoving past every cat in his way. _Oh no!_ Sunsetkit just helplessly watched, _Poor Mistkit! Father has never been so angry before!_

"How many times have I told you to never participate in these ridiculous games?!" he yowled. Mistkit said nothing, looking at the ground and shuffling her paws. "How many?!" Windrider asked again. She just cowered underneath the huge warrior, too scared too speak. "WINDRIDER!" Featherfoot thrust her way next to him, fury and fear mingled together in her eyes. "This is outrageous!? What is with you?! Haven't you already embarrassed her enough?!" she growled

. Sunsetkit looked around the camp. The argument had distracted many cats; almost everyone was staring at her family members, each filled with great emotion. After Featherfoot's remark, Windrider turned around and headed to the warriors' den, his fluffy tail lashing as he left. Sunsetkit turned as Mistkit exhaled deeply, as if she had been holding her breath the entire confrontation. "Mistkit, are you-" "I'm fine!" she cut off Blazekit as she sped to the nursery.

Sunsetkit turned around to see Birchkit, his eyes big with astonishment. "Wow," he gasped, "Your dad is REALLY mean! I'm sorry." Then she heard snickering from behind him to see his sister, Viperkit. "Ha!" Viperkit sneered, "What a great performance! Once you become apprentices, you should act it out at your first Gathering, in front of everyone! I'm sure ShadowClan would love it!"

Sunsetkit could feel the fur on her back bristling as she continued, "It's a shame, though, I won't be there to see it! It'll take you so long to become an apprentice, I'll be an elder by then!" _Not if I rip out your throat first_ , Sunsetkit thought, feeling anger surge up inside her. "You do know that I'm almost as old as you, right?" she shot back, "I'm barely half a moon younger, actually."

"Oh, I'm sorry, do you not know how to count? Maybe I can just have a little chat with Chasmstar, and we could fix that up in a jiffy! You'd only have to stay in the nursery for an extra, what, five moons? That means that when I become a warrior, you would have just been apprenticed! That sounds about right." Leaving Viperkit speechless, Sunsetkit started to walk towards the nursery.

Blazekit walked next to her. "I'm sorry about my sister," he apologized, "I have to share a nest with her!" "Thanks for trying to cheer me up," Sunsetkit sighed, "but nothing can change my dad. He stopped walking, but she kept going. She walked quickly, trying not to run. _I don't want to get in trouble again._

As she entered the nursery, she could hear soft whimpering coming from a gray heap of fur. Sunsetkit walked over to her sister, curling up beside her in their comfy moss nest. Exhaustion swept over Sunsetkit's mind as she thought of the overwhelming humiliation and teasing of the last few minutes. She dozed off, Mistkit slowly settling down next to her.


End file.
